The Underworld of Evangelion
by Stormofdragons
Summary: More than a decade after the end of the series. (no 3I) What changes await our heroes, as a new threat arises to engulf them. A spin-off of both EVA and the movie Underworld
1. Chapter 1

The Underworld of Evangelion

A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfic incorporating elements of the movie Underworld.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is Copyright of Gainax Studios, and is used here without permission.

Underworld is Copyright of Subterranean Productions LLC, and is used here without their permission.

Written By: StormofDragons

Pre-read, as ever, by my loving wife (hugs and kisses), and my friends at Evamade: ChiRho and Ubersentinel.

As with all of my Evangelion works, this story Appeared FIRST at which is my preferred archive. Updates to this, and other stories, occur at least a week in advance of updates to ffn. If you wish to read this or any other stories I have authored, I encourage you to go there, and check out the fanfiction section. You'll find my works under the same author name StormofDragons.

###

The Monsoon had come ashore sometime during the day, and the rain was coming down in sheets as she stood watching the crowds below. The flapping of the dark leather raincoat could be heard over the falling water, and slowly, the woman became visible through the storm. She stood there, on the side of the apartment building, looking at the street below.

Despite the rain, there were hundreds of people milling about. This country had always been too crowded for her tastes, and she'd always held herself aloof, separate from those around her. Now, on her return, she was truly different from the assembled masses.

She'd been a warrior when she was here, within the confines of Tokyo-3 all those years ago. Now, she was a warrior again; a Death Dealer, as those of her profession were known among her kind.

Her kind.

She still had a hard time grasping what had happened to her when she'd returned home to Germany all those years ago. It didn't matter now. She had a mission, to track those who had fled to this city ahead of her, fleeing from her fellow hunters.

She raised the digital camera to her face, and zoomed in on her quarry below. There were three of them walking quickly, ignoring the rain, pushing their way through the pedestrians. She pressed the record button, and filmed the three targets, zooming in closer in an attempt to get better details.

She could see them clearly now. They weren't paying much attention to their surroundings, not like they normally did. Instead they seemed focused on a something ahead of them. She pulled back the zoom, and examined the crowd. Movement attracted her attention, and she watched a figure ahead of her targets, moving fast through the crowd as well.

She tried to zoom in on him closer, but didn't get a good look at him before he turned and walked into the Mag-Lev underground station. Moments later the three targets followed him through the same doors, and she found all the confirmation she needed. Slinging the camera behind her back she leaned out, and released her grip on the balcony she was perched upon. She fell towards the street, thirty meters or more below, and landed as if she had merely stepped off of a curb. She walked quickly towards the Mag-Lev entrance, and pushed her way inside, coming out of the rain for the first time since she'd awakened at sunset.

Reaching behind her, she pulled her two favorite automatic pistols from their holsters in the small of her back, and brought them before her as she pushed through the crowds. She could still see her quarry, towering over the Japanese citizens of Tokyo-3. They were European in origin, and most Europeans, like herself, were taller than the Japanese. The individual they were following was also taller than the majority of the crowds, and easy to pick out. The hood of the sweatshirt he wore hid his features, mostly, but she'd seen enough through her camera lens to know he was male and Japanese.

The man came to a stop at the front of the crowd waiting for the next train, and her three targets spread out, appearing to encircle their quarry. Suddenly the big one, the leader, stiffened, sniffed the air, and turned.

The Lycans eyes locked on hers, and a snarl spread across his lips.

"Bloods!" the big Lycan shouted.

Then they were moving, drawing their guns. They opened fire indiscriminately, and she ducked behind a pillar, the barrage of incoming bullets chipping away at the tiles.

She stepped out around the corner, leveling her gun's and sending a dozen slugs into the Lycans. The nearest one howled in pain as he was hit in the back by three shots, but turned to face her. Lycans were hard to kill, but these rounds had been designed to do just that. Suddenly there were lines creeping over his features, and a look of agony washed over him. Then he was writhing on the ground, convulsions washing through him, before he finally quieted and became still.

The Lycans bullets were splattering through the humans in the crowd as she ducked and dodged. She made the next pillar she was aiming for, putting it between her and the Lycans. She ducked out around her new pillar, and unleashed the contents of both clips, sending thirty rounds into the smaller of the two remaining Lycans.

The big one was backing into the train that had just arrived at the station, and was still shooting, blowing out the windows as he walked through the passengers. She reloaded, preparing to do the same to this one, that she had done to the other.

Then she saw him.

The human the Lycans had followed was dragging an injured human behind the vending machine island near the back of the platform. The woman had been shot at least once, and was in obvious pain.

"It's okay. You're going to be alright. Can you tell me your name?" he was saying to the woman.

"Kimiko," the woman gasped.

"Kimiko, my name's Shinji Ikari. I'm a Doctor. You've been shot, but I'm here, and you're going to be okay," he was saying.

'Shinji,' she thought, stunned to see the boy she knew from so long ago had become the man she saw before her.

She wanted to go to him; to talk with him, and learn all she could about what he'd been through since they'd parted, but she couldn't. She had her priorities. She had made a vow long ago to see the end of this war, and she would see that vow fulfilled.

Her clips were full and ready when she stepped out and opened fire. Her shots tore through the windows of the train, mostly missing the humans, and forcing the Lycan within to duck. Ejecting the spent clips, she snapped two new ones into place, and charged the train. The big Lycan had stopped firing, and was charging through the crowd. She could hear the snapping of flesh and bone as he ran, transforming himself and slaying humans as he passed. With a howl, he crashed through the window at the front of the train.

She followed him, diving past the startled engineers, and crashed through the window and out onto the tracks, beyond the reach of the platform, and within the tunnels that allowed the trains to pass under the city. She raised her guns, prepared to charge down the tunnel, when there was a howl.

The Lycan. Only he wasn't running down the tunnel, he was on the side of the train. She turned and headed down the side. The Lycan was there, standing over the body of a couple humans. They were shredded; the Lycans teeth and claws had ripped them apart.

The Lycan heard her, as she skidded to a stop, and his wolfish muzzle turned, grinning at her as a low rumble issued from his throat.

"Oh Shit!" she said, backing up.

This Lycan had to be an Elder; he already had a few bullet holes and showed no sign of slowing. She emptied both clips from her guns at him, but he kept coming.

"Fuck!" she swore, and turned to run.

The Lycan growled low in his throat as she ran, and she could hear him start to run after her.

She ran, knowing her life depended on speed. Flashing down the tunnel faster than a human could follow, she ducked into an opening off to the right, and ran down an access way. The Lycan followed.

She turned a corner, and ran into a dead end. She spun around, waitingto wait for the Lycan. He wasn't long in coming, running along the wall, as easily as if it were the floor, turning at the corner to follow. She heard a sound beneath her, and noticed that there was a grate here. Reaching down, she flicked the grate up, and dropped into the sewer below.

She ran then, down a maze of passages, away from the grate she'd dropped through. Any second now the Lycan would reach the grate and follow. She flipped her jacket open, grabbing four of the bladed disks there, and threw them back the way she'd come.

The Lycan, sensing his prey's nearness, dropped through the open grate, loping after the Vampire woman. He'd lost the human, but he was about to kill a Death Dealer. It had cost him two pups, but the death of even a single hunter was worth the price.

Suddenly four spinning blades were in front of him, and he couldn't dodge in time. One of the blades missed, but the other three hit him. The silver tipped blades sliced into him, and he howled in agony, crashing to the floor, writhing there in the filth of the sewer.

He thrashed around on the ground until the pain finally faded to a dull throb. Getting up, slowly, he brushed at the blades, but couldn't dislodge them with his paws. He howled in frustration, and tried to smell where his quarry had gone. The Vampire's scent was lost in the stink of sewage that clung to the walls.

The others would not be pleased.

Turning, he trudged through the sewer to where the pack was laired; back to the den.

She hid behind a pillar less than twenty feet from him, and watched as the Lycan turned and left, heading deeper into the sewer. The scent of the sewerage must be confusing him, because there was no way he would just leave her here if he knew she was this close. She waited a few minutes, and then followed him, careful to avoid splashing or disturbing any of the scattered garbage. Maybe she could find where his pack was laired.

She followed him carefully for some time, before he finally turned down a side passage, and she could hear roars and growls coming from within a large chamber beyond.

She had never heard that many Lycans in one place before, it sounded like a large pack. Certainly there were more than two-dozen, maybe even as many as forty or fifty. She checked her ammunition. Only two more clips; call it 60 rounds total. Nowhere near enough to take on the Elder Lycan and a couple pups, let alone the entire den.

She had to tell the others.

###

Shinji was in the staff dressing room, putting his street clothes back on.

"Hey Ikari?"

"Yeah?" he asked, as the young resident came into the room.

"I heard what you did out there. Good job."

"Thanks. I saw her go down, and I couldn't help myself. I'm supposed to be a surgeon; I couldn't stand there and watch her die," Shinji shrugged.

"Still, those weirdo's opening fire like that in the subway. How many casualties were there?" the resident asked.

"Seven dead, and twenty-nine wounded."

"Eight. We lost the one in ER-5."

Shinji stopped pulling on his coat, and stared at the young doctor.

He shrugged.

"Anyway, I brought this to you," he said, taking Shinji's hand and dropping something into it.

"What's this?" Shinji asked, holding the small transparent object up to get a better look at it.

"Part of the slug we took out of one of the victims," he said.

"This is evidence. You could get fired for taking this."

"There's over a hundred others exactly like it. I doubt they'll miss one."

Shinji shook his head, looking at the strange bit of the shell. It was... unusual.

"Seen it yet?" the young man asked.

"A slug? Yeah, I've seen too damn many," he said, preparing to throw it away.

"Not like this. Not until today. Look closer," the other man said.

Shinji did, wondering what he was looking for.

"Well?" he asked.

"Notice anything odd about it?" the intern asked.

"Well, its' not a copper slug," Shinji said, expectantly.

"Nope. Preliminary analysis says it's some form of glass."

"Glass?"

"Yeah, no idea why. There's also trace amounts of some luminous material at half the entry wounds, and a liquid that we at first took for mercury."

"So what was it?" Shinji asked holding the slug up to the light.

"The luminous material is a complete unknown, although one of the Oncologists said it's similar to some of the radioactive compounds they use to treat cancer."

"Interesting. And the mercury like substance?" Shinji asked.

The Intern paused, and then said softly, "It's silver nitrate."

###

"Ms. Ikari, my name is Officer Sakamoto, of the Tokyo-3 Police, may I come in?"

"Certainly, just a moment," Rei said, sliding the door open. "Yes."

"Ms. Ikari, we would like to speak to you about Mr. Ikari," the detective said.

"Shinji? Is something wrong?" Rei asked, only appearing mildly nervous.

"He's fine ma'am, he was involved in a shootout between unknown individuals at a Mag-Lev station today, but was not injured. There were numerous deaths and injuries, and we believe at least two of the assailants are among the casualties. Mister Ikari provided emergency medical aid to many of the wounded, even before the gunfire had stopped."

"That is good," she said, the mask again coming up over her features.

"Our records list you as his nearest relative, so we would like to ask you a few question, if we may," the detective explained.

"Certainly."

"First," he began, pulling out a small palm computer, "Are you and Mister Ikari siblings?"

"Yes, we share the same mother, although we were unaware of each other until we were fourteen," Rei said calmly.

"I see," he made a couple notes. "Do you recognize either of these men?" he asked, holding the palm unit out so she could see the computer reconstructions of the two dead men.

"No I'm afraid not," she said.

"Some witnesses have stated that these men, and possibly an accomplice were following Mr. Ikari. A fourth individual was observed trading gun shots with the three suspects. Can you think of anyone who is likely to hold a grudge against you?"

Rei immediately thought back to their time as pilots and the numerous death threats they had received for killing 'the Lords messengers.'

"No," she stated flatly.

The detective sighed, letting some minor irritation show on his face.

"Alright Ms. Ikari, one last thing. This man and woman were identified as the other two shooters in the station. Are either of them familiar?"

Rei looked at the new pictures the detective showed her, and shook her head in the negative.

"Alright. Well, we'll have a uniformed officer on patrol in the area, in the event you two are bothered by anyone else. If you think of anything else, please don't hesitate to call," he said, handing her a business card.

"Thank you detective," she said, as the detective walked out.

As the door slid closed, Rei turned to walk back into the living room of the apartment she shared with Shinji. She called the hospital and found that Shinji had left twenty minutes before. She checked the clock, and did some mental calculations. If he caught the train on time, he should arrive home in another thirty minutes. Noting that it was much later than he normally returned home, she decided that tonight she would cook dinner for him.

'Soryu,' she thought, her eyes narrowing, as she recalled the sketch of the woman the detective had shown her. She wondered what Shinji would say when she told him.

###

Shinji walked into the apartment, and took off his shoes. He knew that it was late, after midnight in fact, but he wasn't surprised to find the apartment lights still burning brightly.

"I'm home," he called.

"Welcome home Shinji," Rei called back.

The scent of cooking food assaulted his senses, and he followed his nose into the kitchen. Rei was standing before the stove, and was moving her hands in quick, precise movements, preparing a meal. Rei had even prepared tea, and set their clay pot on the table with two cups.

Shinji smiled as he watched her. Teaching Rei to cook had been one of the more enjoyable experiences of his teen years. She had prepared some rice, and was working on a skillet of Sukiyaki.

"Sorry I'm late," he said.

Rei continued to stir the cooking ingredients in silence.

"There was an emergency, I was needed," he explained.

"At least you weren't shot," she said, turning the gas off, and turning to face him.

"So you heard?"

"A detective with the Tokyo-3 Police stopped by to ask me a few questions, and to see if I knew any of the assailants," she said, wiping her hands on a rag, and fetching them each a plate.

"I'm sorry they disturbed you," he said, staring at the floor.

"You could have at least called," she said softly.

"I went back to the hospital with a couple of the wounded, and wound up doing emergency surgery on three patients."

"Are they alright?" she asked, still in the same monotone.

"They'll live. They were luckier than some. After I got out of the ER, I just wanted to come home, so I didn't call. I'm sorry," he said, looking up at her, a sad smile on his face.

Rei smiled back at him, a small slight smile, the only kind of smile she'd ever given him.

"It's alright," she said, "I was just concerned that you were injured. The officer reassured me that you were fine. Here's your plate," she said, handing him a plate full of rice and steaming Sukiyaki.

"Thank you," he said, turning to sit down. They ate in silence for a few minutes before either spoke again.

"The detective said you were treating the wounded in the middle of the firefight," Rei said.

"Yes. I saw several people go down, and had to react. My ER skills took over, and I started to do what I could," Shinji said.

"That was very brave of you Shinji," Rei said.

Shinji blushed, and mumbled something about it being what anyone would do.

"No they wouldn't. You were the only one there who helped."

"How do you know that?" Shinji asked.

"Because the Officer pointed out your act. It was very selfless," she said.

Shinji flushed darker.

"Just doing what I could," he mumbled.

They ate for a few more minutes before Rei spoke again.

"They asked me if I recognized the two dead gunmen, and I told them I didn't."

Shinji nodded, taking a sip of his tea.

"There were not personnel I was familiar with at NERV, nor any of the Terrorists that Colonel Katsuragi has advised us of since we were placed on Combat Reserve," Rei said.

Shinji sipped at his tea again. He casually wondered why Rei was recounting this to him in such detail, but, since it was a break in their otherwise bland daily routine, he let her continue in this vein.

Rei finished her meal, and took the dishes to the sink to clean them. She finished quickly, placed them in the rack to dry, and turned to face him. Shinji had no sooner cleaned his plate than she whisked the dishes from him, cleaned them, and placed them beside hers.

"Rei... is something wrong?" Shinji asked, feeling something was amiss with his 'sister.'

"Hai," she said, formally, and reached into the cabinet behind her to retrieve a large Sake bottle that they usually reserved for special occasions. She heated the contents quickly, and poured a large cup. She then placed the cup in front of Shinji.

"Rei?"

"They also showed me sketches of the other two persons involved in the shootout. I did not recognize the male gunman," she said.

"Meaning you did recognize the other gunman?"

Rei nodded, "But I told the officer I did not."

"Why would you lie to the police Rei? You know that's not right," Shinji observed, wondering at Rei's strange behavior.

She pushed the Sake towards him, but Shinji ignored it. Rei shrugged, and continued, knowing after all these years exactly what Shinji's reaction would be to her next words.

"Well?"

"The other gunman was Pilot Soryu."

Shinji grabbed the cup and downed the contents in one quick gulp, before taking the bottle from her and pouring himself another.

Rei was glad that she had hid the other bottles before he had gotten home, as, at the rate he was going, he'd have probably drunk all of the Sake in the house tonight.

###

"Colonel Katsuragi."

"Mmm... Rei? Rei, how many times have I told you to call me Misato?"

"I no longer keep an accurate count. The last time I remember is two thousand four hundred and seven, whereupon Shinji suggested I stop keeping track."

Misato sighed, holding the receiver away from her mouth and using the back side of it to bang her head.

"Okay Rei, what can I do for you?"

"Could you please come to our apartment tonight? I need to speak to you in private."

Misato glanced at the clock, realizing it was after 2:00am, and almost refused, but Rei did not make casual requests. Ever.

"Is there something I can do for you and Shinji?"

"Shinji will not be joining the conversation," Rei said.

"Oh, is he tied up at work?" Misato asked., knowing that his shifts at the hospital often had him working odd hours for days at a time.

"No. He is here, but he got drunk and passed out almost half an hour ago. I have since put him to bed to 'sleep it off.'"

Misato's eyes widened, and she turned on her bedroom light and looked at the calendar. It wasn't even close to the three dates that she knew Shinji was prone to get this drunk on. Her former charge was not given to drinking, and only did so on three very special days. These three days all had one thing, one person, in common.

Asuka.

"I'll be there as soon as I can get dressed Rei. Say about an hour?"

"That would be excellent Colonel Katsuragi, thank you," Rei said, and hung up the phone.

###

Asuka's red BMW roared through the automatic gates of the old Mansion seated high in the hills overlooking Tokyo-3. She pulled up to the garage, and parked her car before going inside.

Several Vampires, all dressed in beautiful clothes, and enjoying the freshest blood from the rarest of donors occupied the opulent furnishings within.

Asuka felt sick.

Every night she was out on the streets, hunting down Lycans, punishing those random incursions into their territory. She walked quickly down the hallway towards the Lord's Chambers, and pushed her way through the huge oak doors.

"Asuka," the elder vampire said in greeting, only mild annoyance in his voice.

"My Lord," she said, bowing before him, her long hair sweeping along the floor.

"Arise child, and report."

"My Lord, I have encountered something... unprecedented," she said.

"And what might that be?" he asked.

"A den, my Lord, with dozens of Lycans in it."

"That's crazy. There haven't been any large dens for hundreds of years, the only time one appeared was thirty years ago when Selene convinced some of them to follow her mad scheme to kill Viktor," he explained.

"That may be, my Lord, but I have seen it with my own eyes, heard it with my own ears. There is a large den beneath Tokyo-3," Asuka said.

"The perhaps we have found that which we seek. Perhaps we have finally found Selene and her Hybrid lover."

"Perhaps my Lord, I cannot say to that, only what I observed," Asuka said.

"Excellent. Gather the other Death Dealers, and prepare for an assault. I want this blemish removed from my honor and my city immediately," he said.

"Immediately, my Lord," she said, rising at last, and turning to go.

"Asuka," he called.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Asuka, how many times have I asked you to stop calling me 'my Lord,' and simply call me by my given name?" he said.

"Often, my Lord."

"Very well then, if won't do as I ask, I'll make it an order. You are to use my name when talking to me, and not to refer to me as 'my Lord' any longer," he said, smirking.

"Very well... Kraven."

###

A/N: This story is done by combining the worlds of "EVA" and "Underworld" It takes place years after the end of the series (no EoE, no 3I) and the movie.

**The Children of Corvinus:** The name given to the three races formed from the descendants of Corvinus, the first true immortal, consisting of the **Lycans**, **Vampires**, and **Hybrids**. All of them are incredibly strong, resistant to injury and disease, and capable of rapid healing and regeneration. All three races can be killed in hand-to-hand combat, or by the complete destruction of their body (i.e. Incineration, etc.). They are able to create "offspring" through their bite, or blood transfusion. Only one in one hundred humans are transformed by this process, the remainder die. Only direct descendants of Corvinus, who carry the disease that mutated to become Lycanthropy and Vampirism can withstand a bite from the first two races. This will give birth to a new **Hybrid**.

**Lycans: **Your Basic Werewolf. Silver Bullets can kill them if enough are shot into them. In Wolf form they are very resilient, and can even withstand multiple hits by Silver Nitrate rounds. In Human form, a single SN round is usually fatal. They look human, but can transform into a quasi-wolf form.

**Vampires(Bloods):** Self Explanatory. The look completely human, except when enraged, their fangs grow and their faces distort. They are extremely strong, and resistant to most injuries. Only sunlight or Lycan UV rounds can kill them

**Hybrids:** Those rare individuals who have survived a bite by both species, or a bite by another hybrid. Only Decendants of Corvinus, or those injected with Corvinus blood can become Hybrids. Once the Corvinus blood is in there system, bites by, or blood of the two species will trigger the transformation. Not vulnerable to Silver or UV, therefore ONLY physical attacks can harm them, as their bodies regenerate lost or damaged organs. Hybrids appear human until they transform into a muscular form with dark mottled skin, claws like a werewolf and teeth like a vampire. In this form their eyes are totally black.

Shinji tends to drink only on the following three days: Asuka's Birthday, the Anniversary of her Departure from Japan, and the Anniversary of her Disappearance.


	2. Chapter 2

The Underworld of Evangelion

A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfic incorporating elements of the movie Underworld.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is Copyright of Gainax Studios, and is used here without permission.

Underworld is Copyright of Subterranean Productions LLC, and is used here without their permission.

Written By: StormofDragons

Pre-read, as ever, by my loving wife (hugs and kisses), and my friends at Evamade: Ubersentinel and ChiRho(well almost).

As with all of my Evangelion works, this story appeared FIRST at www(dot)evamade(dot)com which is my preferred archive. Updates to this, and other stories, occur there at least a week in advance of updates to FFN. If you wish to read this or any other stories I have authored, I encourage you to go there, and check out the fanfiction section. You'll find my works under the same author name StormofDragons.

Colonel Misato Katsuragi, Senior UN Liaison Officer of NERV, and former Commander of the Evangelions, knocked on the door of the apartment that she once lived in. It was nearly 4:00 am, but she knew that at least one of the occupants was still awake. Rei Ikari answered the door.

"Hello Colonel Katsuragi, please come in," Rei said, stepping aside, and allowing her former guardian to enter.

Misato stepped in and removed her shoes, and followed as Rei led her into the living room.

"I know that you no longer drink Colonel, but I thought on this occasion…" Rei said, leaving the thought hanging. She indicated a full bottle of Sake, that had already been warmed, and a cup resting next to it.

"I think I'm probably going to need it, but I'll hold off for now. Now then, tell me what's wrong," said Misato.

Rei spent the next twenty minutes explaining the events of the previous evening, including the gun battle at the Mag-Lev station, the appearance of the Detective, and the interrogation she'd been subjected to. She then explained her conversation with Shinji, and the revelation that one of the survivors of the gun battle was none other than the second child.

"Asuka," Misato said simply. She was shocked by the mention of the girl. Rei must be mistaken, she had to be, and yet, this was Rei she was talking to, and Rei did not make mistakes. Not about something like this.

Misato reached for the bottle, and ignoring the conveniently placed cup, began to chug the contents directly.

"Please do not let out your usual shout," remarked Rei. "As I am afraid it would wake Shinji, and he is in need of sleep."

Misato sputtered, and nearly spit out all the Sake she had in her mouth, but only a small bit escaped. She nodded, her lips pressed to the neck of the bottle, and continued to drink. When she felt the warm liquid beginning to seep into the core of her body, she pulled it away from her lips, but still held onto it tightly.

"You're sure?"

"Yes Colonel, it was definitely Pilot Soryu. The picture that had been made was of superior quality and detail, and it looked exactly like the last picture Shinji received from Pilot Soryu after her return to Germany."

"Rei, how can that be? Asuka vanished more than ten years ago, if it were her, she would have aged in those years, and might look significantly different."

"Nonetheless, Colonel, I am positive that the picture I was shown was of Pilot Soryu," explained Rei.

"Alright Rei, I'll take your word for it. What do you think I should do about this?" Misato asked.

"I would suggest that you have Section 2 agents look into the Police investigation and gather what intelligence they can on the possible location of Pilot Soryu and her motivations in the shootout."

"Rei, there is no more Section 2, you know that. The UN ordered that we disband them after NERV was placed on stand-by."

"Nonetheless Colonel, I know for certain that Section 2 is still functioning under your direct command."

"And how have you come to this conclusion Rei?"

"There is approximately 12.3 million dollars in discretionary funds that have been diverted to covert accounts every year for the last twelve years. These accounts form the basis for the network of hidden transactions that are used as a further layer of security, which hides the final destination of the funds in question. Since the remainder of NERV is properly funded, and its accounts are balanced, I have been led to assume that Section 2 is still functional, despite orders to the contrary."

Misato nodded. If anyone could have tracked the convoluted trail of funds and bank transfers that had taken place it would be Rei. She recalled the younger woman's pleasure as she discovered computer programming, and her own concern when Rei had joined Kensuke Aida on several 'hack jobs' he'd done on various secure databanks around the world.

"Alright, assuming I know what you're talking about, and assuming that I have any influence over whatever remains of Section 2, I'll try to do what you ask."

"Thank you Colonel, that's all I request," Rei said.

"If that's all you need, I think I'm going to head into the office early today. I have a lot of work to do," Misato said, standing up.

"Certainly Colonel," Rei said, bowing to Misato.

Misato turned, and walked to the door, putting on her shoes as she started to leave.

"Colonel?"

"Yes Rei?" Misato said, turning.

"I believe that it is illegal to have an open container of alcohol in your vehicle. Should you be stopped with that bottle, you will not be able to accomplish your task."

Misato looked down, and, sure enough, she was still holding the Sake bottle in her left hand. Misato laughed nervously, and handed the bottle back to Rei.

"Thanks Rei. Goodbye," she said.

"Goodbye Colonel," Rei said, watching Misato leave, and sealing the door behind her.

"Able and Baker Teams, take up flanking positions, Charley team, follow me," Asuka ordered, pulling her favorite assault rifle into position, and jacked the action back to put a shell in the chamber. She led the seven Death Dealers up to the place that she'd stood before, just outside the chamber where the Lycans had been gathered. She signaled to her team to stand by, and turned back to watch the entrance to the chamber within.

There were four clicks on her earpiece, signaling that Baker team was in position, then three clicks sounded in quick succession, indicating Able team was as well. She tapped her mike once to indicate that she'd received their transmissions.

She turned and signaled to her team to get ready. She turned back around; double clicked her mike to start a five second countdown, and motioned to her men, counting the seconds off with her fingers.

When she reached zero, they charged forward, kicking open the doors leading to the large chamber beyond.

The chamber was empty, except for Able and Baker teams, who were also pouring into the room.

"Clear," came shouts from all over chamber.

"DAMMIT!" Asuka shouted, lifting her gun to safe position, and surveying the chamber.

Except for them, there was nothing, no sign, no trace of the Lycans. Nothing to prove that they had ever even been here.

'I'm going to have to do a lot of explaining to Kraven,' Asuka thought to herself.

"Soryu," came the call of one of her Lieutenants.

"Yes?"

The man tossed something round and silver to her, four inches across. It was one of the blades she'd thrown at the Lycan Elder earlier that night. She looked up at the Death Dealer, and saw he was carrying two others.

"Where'd you find these?"

"There's a small chamber over there. It's set up like some kind of laboratory. There's enough scientific glassware to take blood samples from the whole Japanese Coven."

"Shit," Asuka swore, "take samples of everything you find back to the Estate, maybe we can figure out what they were looking for."

"Sure. Sure. I think there's something you should see though," he said, motioning her toward the small chamber.

She followed him to it, and when she got there, he allowed her to enter first.

She looked around, wondering what he wanted to point out, and then she saw it. Upon one wall was a large corkboard, and tacked to that board were a series of interconnecting lines. Each line led to a name; the names near the bottom had pictures next to them. Most of the names were crossed through, but a few were bare.

One set caught her eye.

Featured prominently in the chart, descending from the European name of Corvinus, and passing through many changes and iterations, was the name Ikari. There were several branches of the family, most of which had been crossed out, but central among these, near the bottom were the names "Yui," and "Shinji."

"What the hell is this?" she wondered aloud.

"Somebody get in here and take pictures of this thing. I want to know exactly what this means ASAP. After you've got pictures take the cork off the wall, and get it back to the Estate. Kraven will want to see this."

Her soldiers snapped into action, and, before the hour was up, they were on their way back into the mountains, and the Estate. Asuka was glancing nervously at her watch. This mission had been planned closely, and she knew she had plenty of time, but still, the prospect of being caught out at sunrise was not something a Vampire took lightly.

At 7:00 am Shinji's alarm clock went off, and a sluggish hand reached from under the covers to smack it. The hand lay there for ten more minutes when the alarm sounded again. This time a low groan escaped the lips of the hands owner, and Shinji raised his eyes to look at the clock.

7:10 am.

"God, I forgot to turn it off," he groaned, finally flipping the switch, to turn the alarm off. He tried to sit up, but his skull was pounding. He couldn't understand how it was Misato had been able to do this for more than a decade without drawing her gun and killing herself to end the pain.

A soft hand helped him to a sitting position, and handed him a large cool glass of water. Shinji gulped the contents down greedily, and, when two aspirin were offered, swallowed them with more water. Blearily he looked up at Rei, and gave her the best smile he could manage.

"I'm sorry," he said, ashamed that he'd drunk so much.

"It is not your fault. You were emotionally shocked, and used the alcohol help relieve some of the tension," responded Rei.

Shinji allowed his eyes to fall to the floor, staring at their feet. It was nice of her to say something like that, but he knew he was just using the booze to run away again.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Rei asked.

Shinji felt a surge in his stomach, and informed Rei that he didn't think that it would be a good idea right now. Rei sat down next to him; taking a damp washrag she'd brought along, and began wiping his forehead with it. The comforting gesture did make Shinji begin to feel better after several minutes, and he eventually waved her away. He kept the cloth pressed firmly to his own head, however, as he got up to walk into the kitchen. He sat down at the table, and the smell of fresh brewed coffee finally reached him.

Rei came over and dropped off a cup, with a bit of milk and chocolate in it, just how he liked it. He sipped slowly at it, allowing it to warm his insides.

"The hospital called this morning. Your secretary said that you've been placed on paid leave until the preliminary police investigation clears you," Rei informed him.

"Good. 'Cause I don't think I could go to work the way I'm feeling," groaned Shinji.

"I will be staying at home with you as well," Rei said.

"You really don't need to Rei," Shinji replied.

"It is my duty to stay home and minister to you in your time of need. I have informed my employer of last nights events, and the reason for my absence. I have been granted two weeks personal leave."

Shinji nodded. He knew that when Rei made up her mind to do something that it was quite impossible to sway her.

Rei walked into the living room, and turned on the television. She adjusted the volume so that it was very low, and sat down on the couch.

"There is news of the shooting on the television," she said.

Shinji looked up, deciding he really did want more information. He followed Rei to the couch.

"…footage shows these three individuals opening fire on a forth, using automatic pistols and rifles. Police have not yet announced the identities of the two deceased, and are asking for help in identifying them," the announcer was saying. Two detailed sketches appeared on the screen, showing the two dead gunmen, and a phone number to call with information.

"Artist renderings of the two surviving shooters have also been handed out, and police ask the public to contact them with any information about these two individuals. In the event you see them, Police urge you to contact the authorities immediately, and avoid sudden movements. The subjects are to be considered armed and extremely dangerous." Two more pictures appeared on the screen, and Shinji was left staring into the face of the woman he'd given up for dead more than a decade ago.

Asuka's team was sitting at a table deep underground within the Coven's headquarters. The pictures were spread out before them, and the corkboard had been re-assembled. Kraven came into the room then, and looked around. On a table against the wall was some of the scientific glassware they'd taken from the Lycan Den.

"So this is what you found," he said, rather than asking.

"Yes Sir," Asuka said.

He examined the board of names, and looked again at the glassware. A scowl crossed his face.

"Sir, do you know what it is the Lycans were doing?" she asked.

"Looking for another damn Corvinus, I'd guess," he almost growled.

"Why?"

"I'd bet it has to do with the Hybrid transformation. That bastard Michael has been on the run for the last 25 years, I guess they didn't get enough blood samples before his full Hybrid transformation to convert any other Lycans," Kraven said.

"What difference does that make?" one of the other Death Dealers asked.

"Fool. They want to create an army of Hybrids to wipe us out. For that they need the blood of a Corvinus descendant. When the Lycan Elder bit Michael, his blood became tainted. When Selene completed the transformation with the second bite, his blood became useless to everyone. Since he now contained the Vampire vector as well, injecting his blood into a Lycan would kill them instantly. Likewise, if Selene were to attempt to inject his blood into her, it would be fatal to her because of the Lycan vector."

"So," guessed Asuka, "they need a Corvinus descendant who is untainted by Lycan or Vampire to create their Hybrids."

"Most likely, yes. How many names on this list have they yet to eliminate?"

"There are nine names here on the list. The paperwork we found with it indicates that their next target was this Shinji Ikari," one of the other Death Dealers said, pointing to the name and the picture.

"Asuka?" Kraven asked.

"He's the one they were after last night," she said, not looking at the picture.

"Are you sure?" Kraven asked.

"I'm sure."

Kraven looked at her, his scowl deepening. Asuka was keeping secrets from him, and he was not sure why. She knew something more, something she was withholding. He could confront her here, drag it out of her, but he decided to wait for her to bring it to him. She'd never failed him before. In fact, if things continued as they were, he might just offer her the position he'd once offered Selene.

Asuka looked up, and saw a smirk on Kraven's face, and a gleam in his eyes.

"Very well. All of you get some sleep, I'll see you this evening. We need to pay a visit to this Shinji Ikari," he said, dismissing them.

They all left the room, except Asuka, who stayed behind.

"Something on your mind?"

"Just thinking," she said.

"About?"

"The past."

"Don't dwell on the past too much, it only gets you into trouble," he said, leaving the room in a flourish.

Asuka sat there staring down at the Lycan's surveillance photos of Shinji stuck to the board. Reaching out with a trembling hand, she pulled them off carefully, and stuffed them in her jacket. She left the briefing room then, and headed for her own apartment.

Entering her rooms, she made sure the window shades were closed, before going to her bed, and lying down. She pulled the pictures out, and spread them out on the bed beside her, propping herself up on her elbow as she looked down at them.

The Lycans wanted Shinji, and there was a possibility that he was one of these Corvinus descendants who carried the mutated gene that could create a hybrid.

Kraven wanted Shinji, and he was going to make sure that the Lycans couldn't create any more hybrids with Shinji's blood.

"And what about me? What do I want?" Asuka asked herself. She looked down at his photos unable to give voice to the silent desire she'd suppressed for so long. Unable to admit to herself what she'd planned to tell him on the night she'd been bitten by Kraven.

Unsure how to remain loyal to her kind, as well as to herself, she closed her eyes and went to sleep, fully clothed, her face pressed against a picture of Shinji wearing a leather jacket.

"So what are you going to do Shinji?" asked Rei.

"I'm going to find her," he replied.

"Are you sure she wants to be found?"

"I'm… not sure Rei. But I'm pretty sure she saved my life last night. I don't know what all the shooting was about, but I need to find out," he said.

Rei looked at the young man she had accepted as her brother. He'd grown up a lot since their days as a pilot. Matured in ways no one would have ever suspected. He rarely showed it though, not since they'd received word of Asuka's disappearance. He'd walled himself off, even to her, and thrown himself into his studies. Now he was one of the finest Doctors in all of Japan. He had had job offers from several prestigious hospitals and Universities, but he'd turned them all down. Despite what he was now earning, he had no interest in moving to an upscale apartment. He preferred to remain here, in the same apartment he'd shared with Misato and Asuka.

"Do you have any idea on how to start?" Rei asked him

"Nothing concrete. I wish Section 2 were still around, I'd ask for their help. I'm no Kaji," Shinji said.

Rei smiled inwardly, keeping her expression blank.

"Maybe you should call Misato, and see if she can be of any help."

"Misato?" asked Shinji. "I don't know, Rei. I think she's pretty busy with her position with the UN."

"I believe that if you explain to her what you are doing, she will be of assistance," Rei said softly.

Shinji glanced at Rei out of the corner of his eye. She was still difficult to read, but he could recognize when she was manipulating him. Most of the time. This sure felt like one of those times.

"Alright Rei, I'll call Misato," Shinji said, picking up his cellphone, and dialed his former guardian.

"Shinji, good morning. I heard what happened. Are you alright?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay, but I've been suspended from my duties at the hospital until the police clear me as a suspect."

"Oh, I think that should happen in a few days, it doesn't seem like they really have anything on you, merely a few questions about your involvement. A few words in the right ears, and they'll back off," Misato said.

"Um… Thanks Misato, but that's really not necessary," Shinji said.

"Oh, it really wouldn't be a bother Shinji. I'd be glad to do it."

"Actually Misato, I think I'd like to stay on leave for a while," he explained. "See as long as I'm on paid leave I can do a little poking around of my own."

"Why Shinji, I never knew you fancied yourself a detective?"

Shinji laughed.

"I'm no Kaji, Misato, but I'd like to look into this," he said.

Misato tensed at the reminder of her dead lover, and asked, "Why are you going to do this Shinji? Why not just let the police handle it?"

Shinji paused for a moment.

"One of the shooters was Asuka," he said.

Misato did a believable impersonation of someone shocked by this news, "You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid so, Misato. Rei will confirm it. Hell, if you watch any of the news reports, it's pretty obvious. Enough eye witnesses got a good look at her that the Police came up with a pretty accurate picture."

Misato considered for a minute, and then asked Shinji, "Can I help in any way?"

"Well, I'd appreciate any information you can find on Asuka's disappearance, and maybe the information the police have gathered on the shooting."

"I'll see what I can do Shinji, but you know that I'm really only a figurehead these days," Misato lied.

"Anything you can do to help, Misato, would be appreciated."

"Alright Shinji. I'll do what I can. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Misato," he said, and broke the connection.

"She agreed to help?" Rei asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. Hopefully she'll have something for me in the next day or two," he replied.

"In that case, I think you should just sit back and relax until something shows up."

"Alright Rei. I'll try," he said, sitting down on the couch, and turning on the television.

Judging by the look on Shinji's face, Rei suspected that sitting down and relaxing was something the former pilot was going to have a difficult time doing.


	3. Chapter 3

The Underworld of Evangelion

A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfic incorporating elements of the movie Underworld.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is Copyright of Gainax Studios, and is used here without permission.

Underworld is Copyright of Subterranean Productions LLC, and is used here without their permission.

Written By: StormofDragons

As with all of my Evangelion works, this story Appeared FIRST at EVAMADE which is my preferred archive. Updates to this, and other stories, occur there at least a week in advance of updates to ffn. If you wish to read this or any other stories I have authored, I encourage you to go there, and check out the fanfiction section. You'll find my works under the same author name- StormofDragons.

Shinji was enjoying a cup of afternoon tea when there was a knock at the apartment door.

"Yes?" he said, opening the door.

"Shinji Ikari?" the man in black asked.

"Um, yes, can I help you?" asked Shinji.

"These are for you," the man said, shoving a large folder into Shinji's hands.

Shinji looked down at the manila folder in his hands, before looking back up.

The man in black was gone.

Shinji stuck his head back out into the hall, and took a good look around. There was no sign of him.

"Shinji, who was it?" Rei called.

"Um… good question," he replied, shrugging his shoulders, shutting the door, and heading back into the apartment.

"What is that in your hand Shinji?" asked Rei, as he came back into the kitchen.

"Someone just delivered these to me," he said, setting them down, and untying the string from around them. He opened the large envelope, and looked inside. There were two file folders within. He dumped them out on the table, so he could examine them more closely.

The thinnest one contained a police report on the shooting the previous night. Most of the facts in here were familiar to Shinji, having witnessed the incident first hand. But much of it was just meaningless to his untrained mind. Investigations of this type would never be his specialty. The final piece of paper within the file was Asuka's picture.

Shinji pulled it out, and examined it. The eyes were off a little, and the hair was cut differently, she no longer had her bangs, but it was obviously Asuka. At least to him.

He turned to the larger folder, and opened it. There was a note inside, on the first piece of paper.

Shinji,

This is a copy of all the data we gathered on the disappearance of Asuka.

Good Luck

Misato.

Shinji flipped the note over and began to read the file carefully.

Asuka trembled lightly in her sleep, resting fitfully. A part of her mind recognized the start of the dream, and she tried to tell herself that it was only a dream, to retain some control, but it was no use.

Perhaps because it wasn't a dream, but a memory she relived over and over again, she was helplessly dragged along as her subconscious played through this drama once again. Every week for ten long years she'd had this same dream, or nightmare, memory, or whatever it was.

She tried to relax, hoping that in her exhausted stated she could slip into a dreamless sleep, but such was not to be. As darkness claimed her consciousness, the dream began again, and suddenly her senses were filled with the scent of the falling leaves that night in Berlin.

It was late autumn, and Asuka had been in Berlin for five months. The Berlin Branch of NERV was the last of the outlying facilities to be de-activated, and she'd been chosen by Misato to come here to oversee the base closure. She was quite busy these days, making sure that the final inventories matched what was in the records. She almost envied Shinji and his Med-school classes.

Sure, she'd graduated from college at age 14, but that was just with a minor degree. Shinji had decided he wanted to follow in his mothers' footsteps, and become a doctor. He'd talked with Asuka extensively about it, before applying for, and being accepted to, medical school.

She smiled to herself as she walked through the park in the early evening. Who would have ever thought she'd become friends with that Baka. Certainly not her. It seemed to her that they'd argued for most of the first year they'd known each other. Well… she'd mostly yelled at him, and he'd just shied away and apologized.

But the last couple years had been different. She'd discovered that they really weren't all that different. After all that time, fighting for their lives against the Angels, the end had been rather anti-climactic. At least for her.

She'd been locked up in the NERV medical facility after trying to take her own life. Shinji, had once again saved everyone by killing the last Angel. She still had a hard time believing that that Kaoru kid had been an Angel, but the evidence was clear. Still, Shinji had admitted that he'd loved Kaoru, even at the end.

She would have liked to have met him.

After all, anyone who could love Shinji, couldn't be all that bad.

Her reminiscing had taken her from her usual path from the base to her small apartment, and she realized that she was walking along the river now. The park here was old, and the trees were large and thick here, blocking out her view of the sky. Not that it much mattered, with the overcast, but still, she would have liked to have seen it. The city lights, reflected off the clouds lit up the city almost as much as a full moon, but here, under the trees, it was as dark as the deepest corners of the underground NERV base.

She wondered at that. In the distance, she could see lights along the path, but for some reason this stretch of walkway was completely unlit.

That was odd.

If any stretch of sidewalk needed lighting, it was this stretch. The way the distant lights played tricks on the eyes, she could almost believe in the monsters that had frightened her in her childhood. It was silly, really, to be afraid of the dark. Asuka squared her shoulders, and deliberately slowed her pace. She was not afraid, and her minor case of nerves was not going to get the better of her.

In the dim light she could just make out a park bench, and decided that sitting down here, and forcing herself to remain there would cure her of this ridiculous feeling.

She seated herself, and looked out from under the large spreading branches of the oak tree she was sitting on. She could see some light coming off the river before her, and it reminded her of the last time she'd talked to Shinji. He'd been taking swimming lessons lately, and had gone swimming in the lake. Silly that, a grown man, afraid of the water like he was. Still, he was confronting it, just as she was doing now.

Thinking about Shinji now, brought a smile to her face. They'd been talking a lot lately, ever since she left Japan, in fact. They spent hours and hours on the phone these days, sharing with each other what was going on in their lives. She hadn't talked to him for a couple days now, so she reached into her pocket for her cell phone. She flipped it open, and dialed the second number on the list.

It rang several times, and was finally picked up by the machine.

"Hello, you've reached the Ikari residence. I'm out at the moment, or can't reach the phone, so please leave a message after the tone, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. And if this is Asuka, I really meant what I said," came Shinji's voice, followed by a tone.

She closed the phone, and sat there.

She should have left a message, but she was just a little stunned.

The time before last, they'd talked for several hours, as usual, and when they stopped talking for the night, morning Tokyo-3 time, he'd said something he'd never said before. She remembered it clearly.

"I love you," were the last words out of his mouth before he'd hurriedly hung up.

She hadn't thought much about it, until she called him the next afternoon. He'd been extremely uncomfortable talking to her, and was being evasive all of a sudden. Much more like the sniveling Baka he'd been as a teenager than the man he was now growing into.

Finally he'd come out and asked her if she had heard what he'd said the last time. She almost dismissed it, but something in his tone of voice caught her attention. It took her a few moments to remember precisely what he'd said, and when she did, she just laughed.

"Yeah, I heard you," she'd said.

"And?" he'd asked, somewhat timidly.

"And what?" she'd asked, vexed at him for some reason.

"I meant it," he'd said.

"I'm sure you did," she'd replied.

Shinji had been very quiet on his end of the phone then, and Asuka, seizing the opportunity, began to regale him with the details of her day. Then, in the middle of her tirade about a technician, he'd just hung up.

Without even the courtesy of a lame excuse.

He'd hung up on HER.

That Baka.

She'd spent a long time analyzing that phone call, and what they'd both said, before she realized that his feelings had hurt by something she'd said.

But what?

And now, his message said that he "really meant what he said." What was THAT supposed to mean?

He…

He couldn't be serious.

Could he?

She felt her own heart flutter in nervous tension, and was taken aback by that. Why would Shinji saying THAT to her, make her feel like THIS?

A small quiet voice, sounding much like Asuka herself said something in a childlike voice then.

'Because you love him too,' it whispered.

A goofy grin split her lips then, and Asuka couldn't help but blush. She was glad that she was sitting here in the dark, so that no one could see her.

'Oh.. my.. god,' she thought quietly. 'I'm in love with Shinji Ikari.'

She had to stifle a very un-Asuka like giggle then, as she smiled to herself.

She had to be nuts. She had to be absolutely, stark raving mad.

She had to call Shinji.

Still smiling, she looked at the phone in her lap, and flipped it open. She was pressing the buttons to dial him when something moving swiftly smashed into her. She crashed from the park bench to the ground, and her phone clattered away from her, coming to rest some distance away.

By the light of the screen, she could see someone couching on the path, only a few feet away.

"Stay back," she shouted, sitting up, and reaching for her phone.

The man, she could tell the figure was roughly man shaped, kicked her phone away, and it skittered off the bank and into the river.

This wasn't a good sign.

The man turned his attention fully towards her then, and began to slowly move back across the path towards her. Asuka found herself backing away from him, but he continued to advance.

"Stay back. I mean it," she shouted at him.

Even in the dim light, she could see his smirk.

She reached into her pocket, and drew her automatic. She'd teach this S.O.B. what it meant to attack an innocent woman, alone in the park. She couldn't see much, but enough of the man's outline was visible to show her where the center of his body was. She unloaded four shots, dead center of his body, and he lurched back, falling down as the powerful bullets tore into him.

She gathered herself up then, and walked over to him.

Holding the pistol out, she looked down at the man, who's face was dimly visible.

"That's what you get Asshole," she said.

"That," he gasped out, "was not nice."

Suddenly there was a blur of movement, and he was standing behind her. The automatic went flying from her hand as something hard as wrought iron smashed into her wrist, and then he was holding her. One of his arms was grasping both of hers in a powerful, almost crushing grip, and the other was snaked around her, holding onto her jaw.

"You're the fastest human I've seen in a long time," he'd said, much to her confusion, "You'll make an excellent addition to the Coven. If you survive."

Before she could ask him what he was talking about, he'd wrenched her head to the side, and she felt a piercing pain in her left jugular. Then everything had gone black.

"So is that it?" Rei asked, trying to give Shinji a bowl of Ramen from their favorite cart. Seeing him immersed in the files, she'd decided to get dinner for them.

"Evidently. On that last night, Asuka evaded her Section 2 Security detail, and was never heard from again," Shinji said with a shrug.

"How could she do that?" Rei asked.

"Pretty easily actually. Asuka and I long ago learned how to get a few hours of free time, away from prying eyes. We even managed to find all the bugs and transmitters they had hidden in our cloths, and take them out. When we wanted to be left alone, we'd just drop all the bugs into someone's pockets, and let Section 2 chase them around for a while," Shinji answered, smiling as he remembered being scolded by Misato for ditching Section 2 on several occasions.

"That does not sound wise Shinji. What if something were to happen to you?" Rei asked.

"Something did happen, Rei, but it was Asuka who vanished," he said.

"They never discovered any other evidence?"

"Her gun, her phone, and empty shell casings. No other clues. The few suspects they had came out clean."

They sat there at the table, looking at the pile of reports, that spelled out the final few hours of Asuka's life. Somewhere in the night, away from the prying eyes of Section 2 something had happened. And Asuka had never been seen again.

Shinji reached for the small file that contained the police report on the investigation currently underway into the subway shooting, and flipped it open again. A paperclip held the picture of a young woman to the inside cover of the folder.

Shinji stared at it intently for several minutes in silence.

"After all these years. Where have you been?"

Kraven was holding court in the main hall of the Mansion when he heard it. The unmistakable sound of Asuka's BMW screaming out the front gates. He glared over at his Lieutenant, who immediately put his hand to his ear, trying to listen to a report that was coming in from the guard at the gate.

"Well?"

"Asuka's gone sir. She gathered up her weapons and body armor, and left alone. She didn't tell any of her team where she was going. The guard at the gate said she didn't even slow down for him."

"Asuka," Kraven hissed through his fangs, "just what are you up to? Where do you think you're going?"

Kraven turned back to his Lieutenant.

"Activate the tracking system for Asuka's car, I want to know where she is at all times. I also want all strike teams standing by. I don't like my soldiers going solo. Especially Asuka."

"Yes sir."

"What's this?" asked a slightly unkempt looking man sitting alone in the back of a bar.

Another man had just thrown down several pictures of a young woman with light blue hair.

"Our files appear to be incomplete," the second man said.

"How so?"

"Notice anything familiar about her?"

The first man picked up one of the pictures, taken of the young woman, standing at a Ramen Cart, and smiling at the owner as he handed over a couple of containers.

"I thought the targets mother was dead?"

"She is. This is the primary targets roommate, possibly his sibling."

"Her name?"

"Rei Ikari."

"We have no records of a sibling."

"Never the less. This woman exists. And her resemblance to the targets mother is uncanny. She must be related."

"See if you can discover anything about her."

"We're trying, but so far we're coming up against nothing but dead ends and sealed government files. We can't even find a Birth Certificate."

"Alright. Do what you can. Just don't blow the operation this time, alright?"

"Yes sir."

"Is the retrieval team ready?"

"They're on their way now sir."

"Excellent."

"Should I tell them to add the woman to their plans?"

"Unless the opportunity presents itself, no. We just need the male for now. But tell them not to hurt her, if she becomes involved. If he turns out to be negative for the virus, maybe she'll be of more use."

"Very well, sir."


End file.
